Eyes were in the sky above Tiverton Rugby Club this evening as the annual firework display drew thousands.

The club regularly expects around 2000 people at their display which is always held on November 5. This year’s display was managed by Skyburst and was 15 minutes, costing around £4000.

Dave Lydon from Tiverton Rugby Club said: “It’s an event firmly established on the calendar, it’s been going many many years.

“It’s a good display, it’s one of the better ones, it’s good to see a lot of people here, and we were lucky with the weather. When the weather is rubbish, we can suffer a bit, but the last few have been quite good.

“We support a charity each year; we look at who is local and who would benefit from the profits we make from the evening, so it varies from year to year.

“We’ll be back again next year, but in the meantime let’s hope for some fireworks on the rugby pitch as well.”

Mark Grout from Skyburst, who is based in Churchill near Bristol added: “It’s a good show, with nice material. They always look after us well down here; we like coming here.

“We’ve been doing this now with the same crew for four or five years, maybe even longer, and the weather has been kind on all shows this year.

“It looked like they had another good gate again this year. This year, you’re not going to get the same amount as on a school night, but it was still a large crowd.

“The shows are written from the office, and they get the material, then we arrive at around noon, and we are done and rigged by around 3 pm. We get here early as if the weather is rubbish; it takes a bit longer.”

Mr Grout added that professional shows were safer and offered better value for money to customers.

“I have been doing this for 20 years, and I think we may have had fireworks once in the garden in all the time my son – who is here helping tonight – was in his childhood.

“Category three fireworks, the largest you can buy over the counter in a shop, require 25m safe distance, so your garden needs to be 50m long and 50m wide, and even then you’re not guaranteed. I think professional displays are far better and I think you get more for your money. If you went and spent £50 in the shop you might be lighting them one at a time, you light one, black sky, put another one down, it’s not the same entertainment value.

“I think this is the way and it brings in money for the rugby club which is a wonderful facility.”